Homily 4, on Psalm 9
Latin source: Germanus Morin (ed.), Sancti Hieronymi Presbyteri Tractatus sive Homiliae in Psalmos , Anecdota Maredsolana III (Maredsoli, 1897) — public domain. Psalm numbering follows the Septuagint/Vulgate (Morin).
Joshua the son of Nun was fighting in the desert, and as Moses prayed he kept prevailing: the one man fought, the other by his prayer conquered. So too do I, according to that which is written, 'Open your mouth, and I will fill it': I indeed seem to be the one speaking, but there are others by whose prayers I speak. The ninth psalm, which has been sung by you to the Lord, is great in its verses, great in its mysteries. Since, then, we cannot discuss everything, it is enough for the moment to speak about the title. Since we cannot enter into the house (for great is the king's palace, nor are we able to know all the mysteries of the king), for the moment, as it were standing at the title of the house, in the very vestibule, let us point out whose house it is.
'Unto the end, for the hidden things of the son, a psalm of David.' The phrase 'unto the end' does not pertain to the Jews, but to us who at the end have believed. They were the earlier son, we the latest. We therefore who are at the end ought to hear this psalm, because it pertains to those who are at the end. 'For the hidden things of the son.' What are these hidden things of the son? The mystery which throughout all past ages had been hidden has, at the end, been opened to us. 'For the hidden things of the son.' In the Hebrew it reads otherwise. For in the Hebrew it has ALAMOTH, which is translated 'for death': for AL is said for 'for,' MOTH is said for 'death.' Therefore it is said 'for death'; therefore 'for the death of the son' is what is written in the Hebrew. See, then, the Seventy translators: since they were translating for Ptolemy, a Gentile king, and it was harsh to say 'the death of the son,' they translated it 'the hidden thing.' They did not say 'for the death of the son': for they knew that it was being spoken of the Son of God. They saw that it was so written; and yet they were afraid to say that the Son of God would die.
Let this much for the moment be discussed concerning the title, and we ought to understand the whole psalm as being about the death of the Savior. Finally, that you may know it is spoken of the Savior, it is said of the Jews: 'In this snare which they stretched out, their own foot has been caught.' Then, concerning the calling of the Gentiles: 'All the nations that forget God.' And lastly, against the devil: 'God is not before his eyes, he sits in ambush with the rich.' Unhappy the rich, with whom the devil sits. Finally, see what is said of the devil: 'He sits in ambush with the rich.' For whoever is rich, unless he has stripped the poor man, cannot be rich: for this reason he said, 'He sits in ambush with the rich.' Whenever the rich persecute Christians, let us say: 'The devil sits in ambush with the rich.' He lies in wait to seize the poor man, to seize the poor man while he draws him in: 'in his snare he will humble him.' This is the impious man, this is the devil. The poor man not only in riches, but also in spirit: 'for blessed are the poor in spirit.' 'In his snare he will humble.' Whom? The poor man is understood. See what is said. 'He will humble'; not, 'he will slay': but when he has humbled the poor man, the humbling of the poor man is the ruin of the devil. For what follows? 'He will bow himself down and fall, while he has dominion over the poor.' Does not the devil seem to you, in persecution, when he would kill Christians, when he would slay the martyrs, to be slain in the very act of slaying? 'He will bow himself down and fall, while he shall have dominion over the poor.' The martyr who is slain goes to heaven; that slayer is humbled and falls.
This much, for the moment, has been briefly discussed from the psalm, as to what was said, 'For the hidden things of the son.' And this was said in the Old Testament; for in the Old Testament it is spoken of the son in a hidden way. Now in the Gospel let us read openly of the open things of the son.